Posturizing figure toy



Aug. 29, 1961 R. c. BELLAS POSTURIZING FIGURE TOY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1960 WOW 6. 4311M INVENTOR.

Aug. 29, 1961 R. c. BELLAS 2,997,310

POSTURIZING FIGURE TOY Filed March 24, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 77 066415 CZ @d Zaa/ INVENTOR Aug. 29, 1961 R. c. BELLAS 2,997,310

POSTURIZING FIGURE TOY Filed March 24, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet s Left and Riqhi Body TOP 2 pieces -fe Ft and Riqht Unclerbody 2 pieces Front Foot and Leq 4 pieces INVENTOR.

POSTURIZING FIGURE 'roY Robert C. Bellas, 2271 Mountain Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ.

Filed Mar. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 17,384

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-158) The invention herein disclosed relates to figure toys.

Objects of the invention are to provide figure toys which will of themselves assume more or less realistic poses and which can be posturized to depict various emotions or attitudes.

Further special objects of the invention are to provide impressionistic toys of this character which will be capable of standing the wear to which such figures may be subjected and which will be of entirely practical, duraable and inexpensive construction. a

The objects and others as will appear in the following specification have been accomplished by constructing figure toys of flexible, limp cloth material shaped to resemble the body and appendant limb members of different live creatures and by forming these members as separate, flexibly connected, shaped containers, partially filled with loose, free sliding, discrete material having a low angle of repose and which therefore has a tendency to settle and spread in a way to hold the partly filled container elements in the positions in which they have been left or placed. a

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification are illustrative of a present embodiment of the invention but it will be appreciated that this may be modified and changed within the intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a perspective view illustrating four of the same figure toys posed to impersonate different attitudes.

FIG. 2 is a broken, more or less diagrammatic view illustrating internal and external structure of this particular toy.

FIG. 3 is a general plan illustrating the patterns used in the make up of this particular toy.

The figure toy shown for purposes of illustration is made up in the resemblance of a frog and for the purpose is shown as consisting of a body or trunk portion 5, head portion 6, foreleg members 7 and hind leg members 8, flexibly connected to assume positions resembling those of the living animal.

The material to form these shapes is chosen for flexibility and limpness so that it will bend freely and lie in a state of rest. A coarse weave, medium heavy cotton or woolen fabric has been found suitable for such pur' poses and as providing desired durability, wearing qualities and suitable for painting or otherwise coloring or decorating to give the desired representation.

A special feature is that each of the shaped members is in the form of a separate container flexibly connected in noncommunicating relation with the other members.

Thus the foreleg forming members 7 are in the nature of closed bags shaped like the forelegs of the animal represented, connected with the body member byseams 9 extending on generally longitudinal lines in respect to the body so that these members will hinge more or less transversely across the body member and the hind leg sections 8 similarly in the form of shaped containers are hinged to the trunk or body by means of longitudinally extending .seams 10.

The closed bags forming the different shapes are held or maintained in a partly expanded condition, each by a body of loose, discrete particles of a smooth, slippery nature, such as the dry beans used in ordinary bean bags and it is important that this material only partly fill the shaped container so that it may flow in difierent directions and settle and spread so as to modify and shape r' ce 2 the container in various ways. In practice it has been found desirable to only fill the containers up to about percentof their capacity. This as indicated at 11 in FIG. 2 leaves enough empty space in the upper portion.

of the member for the contained material to find a state of rest, leaving the empty part of the container possibly to be shaped by hand to create difierent effects.

The loose material described has a low angle of repose and thus will flow and spread readily when the toy is struck or sharply seated on a table or other support.

This ability to hold a seated position is true of all the members which make up the toy enabling these members to be positioned and be retained in different attitudes such as shown in FIG. 1.

For example, the figure at the upper left in this view is draped over the upper edge of a support, shown as an opened book so that the contained material will flow in opposite directions from the mid portion of the trunk. filling out the head which is here made as a continuation of the trunk and thus maintaining the figure balanced over the edge of the book, with the head portion and forelegs fully distended.

In the other three seated figures shown the material has retreated into the lower portion of the trunk holding such figures in seated relation with the legs positioned in various selected attitudes.

In; FIG. 3 the patterns for making up the toy here illustrated are shown comprising left and right top body pieces 12, left and right underbody pieces 13, four front leg pieces 14 and four hind leg pieces 15, these being stitched together along seam lines indicated.

In FIG. 2 seam lines 16, 17 are shown separating the feet portions from the leg portions of the figure to make these parts appear more realistic.

The cooperative relation of closed shaped containers of limp flexible material and partial filling of loose, discrete material imparts a certain stability to the figure causing it to assume of itself a relaxed pose and enabling it to be posturized in endless amusing and entertaining attitudes.

The material forming the various related anatomically shaped portions of the figure may be shaded or colored according to the coloration of the animal represented as by choice of colored fabrics or by painting, printing, or the like, and distinguishing features such as eyes, ears and the like may be separately attached or woven in or otherwise applied to the material. The loose material may be put in the separate bags either before or after they are connected together, with care to leave plenty of space for free flowing movement of such material and precaution not to load the containers to a point where they become stiff and rigid. This looseness and freedom to assume difierent unusual and possibly grotesque appearances imparts to the toy a certain amount of character and personality.

To further enable the figure to hold different positions magnetic elements such as permanent magnets 18 may be placed in certain of the figure forming members, such as in the forelegs and hind legs which will cause these members to be attracted and to be temporarily retained in positions in which they may be placed.

These magnetic elements may be permanent magnets or small pieces of magnetic material and may be located in the body as well as in the limb portions of the device so that the limbs may be magnetically attracted and held together or to difierent portions of the body.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-posturizing jointed figure toy comprising a trunk and appendant limb members shaped to resemble the trunk and limbs of a living being and consisting each member of a shaped, closed bag of limp, flexible cloth only partly filled with loose, discrete, slippery,

* 2,997,810, Patented Aug. 29, 19 61 fl,997,8 1 O small, rounded objects having a low, flat angle ot p 'se seas to settle and spread and hold a position of rest'parb 1y confined by limp material and said limb members being joined to the trunk member by stitched joints hoIding said limb members to fiexure in the general manner of the living being the figure is shaped to resemble and. said partly filled limb members being in noncomrnuni-i eating relation to the trunk member.

2. A posturizing jointed figure toy comprising agroupj of noncommunicating bags of limp flexible material,,the' separate bags shaped to resemble different parts of the anatomy and collectively resembling a complete anatbmical form, said noncommunicating shaped bags be- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,581,382 Buchtrup Apr. 20, 1926 2,517,442 Campbell Sept. 16, 1947 'GOSs May 24, 1921 

